Are the hybrid production laying chicks only available from large layer companies?

[MsRiderUp]

I'm a little confused about this. I read that the hybrid production layers (Brown eggs --- like Red Stars, Production Reds, ISA Browns, etc.) are bred by large companies, and I see them on the market as adults when they have left the layer farms. I have also read that you can't breed these 'at home' so to speak --- i.e. --- don't have the parents to produce this hybrid production hen. So . . . why do I see these occasionally for sale as chicks? If they are available as bona fide hybrid production chicks, how can I purchase/order them? Thanks!

(If I've posted this in the incorrect forum, please feel free to suggest a better one)

 

[Pyxis]

You can breed them at home. You just need to have the proper parent breeds, which are breeds that really aren't that hard to come by. Each hatchery probably uses a different cross, so you might not use the exact same parent breeds as the hatchery does, but it is totally possible to breed your own red sex links.

 

[Beer can]

Hybrid production chicks from hatcheries are the real deal, they breed them to what they are.
About every hatchery has them as day old chicks.

Production reds are just Rhode Island Reds that are hatchery stock bred for production not to SOP standard and are a much lighter color than real Rhode Islands.
The sexlinks black and red and golden comets, isa reds, there's a few others is a simple single cross between two pure breeds, usually Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire rooster over barred rock hens. Other crosses are with Light Sussex or Leghorns or Rhode Island White hens.
The hybrids we don't know what goes into them cause it's a well guarded secret and actually takes multiple crosses that would be difficult to replicate anyway is the CornishX cross meat birds.
If you see red or black sexlinks chicks for sale by backyard breeders I sometimes wonder if they are just breeding sexlink stock, the chicks will not be the same, only on the first cross. Probably still be good layers.
Breeding and selling sexlink or hybrid chicks would be easy to do though with the right parent stock.

 

[Kiki]

Ideal Poultry sells them as day old chicks.

 

[Pyxis]

Ideal Poultry sells them as day old chicks.

Very true, most hatcheries do. Meyer has "Golden Buffs" which are their version of red sex links, Ideal has golden, red, and black sex links, McMurray has what they call Red Stars and Black Stars, Cackle has what they call Golden Comets and Cinnamon Queens along with Production Reds and generic Red Sex Links and Black Sex links...I could go on and on.

They're pretty widely available. One thing to keep in mind though is that while these are good producers, they are only good producers for about two years. They're designed to burn through their supply of eggs quickly because battery farms kill them once they're two years old. After that age production drops rapidly and they are very prone to ovarian cancers and reproductive issues such as internal laying.

 

[FowlStuff]

I'm a little confused about this. I read that the hybrid production layers (Brown eggs --- like Red Stars, Production Reds, ISA Browns, etc.) are bred by large companies, and I see them on the market as adults when they have left the layer farms. I have also read that you can't breed these 'at home' so to speak --- i.e. --- don't have the parents to produce this hybrid production hen. So . . . why do I see these occasionally for sale as chicks? If they are available as bona fide hybrid production chicks, how can I purchase/order them? Thanks!

(If I've posted this in the incorrect forum, please feel free to suggest a better one)

You can cross two breeds and produce a hybrid, but the really good hybrid layers and hybrid meat birds (broilers) involve multiple generations of breeding to produce. Commercial hatcheries often buy the hatching eggs and some buy Parent Stock (PS) to produce hatching eggs, but the "top secret", highly valued and closely guarded Grand Parent and Great Grand Parent "pure" lines are owned and bred by a very few big companies.

Quote: http://www.isapoultry.com/en/breeding/